Now that it’s time to put the roller away for the down season in most parts of North America, you can plan ahead for spring startup.
Make sure the roller operators and mechanic working on the rollers this winter check for worn coco mats and broken scraper bars. This is the time to replace them. Maybe you need to repair nozzles on the water spray system that lubricates the drums. Adding lights now gives extra nighttime paving safety and visibility to your worker later. Maybe you need to replace the fuel tank cap or something else that’s simple now, but could be a nightmare later.
Whatever the point of concern, now is the time to address it.
Take a good look at the roller’s drums. You’re looking for divots in the surface of the metal. If you see gashes or gouges, you know those will translate into missed areas of compaction in your asphalt mat. Your mechanic probably cannot weld smoothly enough to return the drum to perfect working condition. You will either remove it and send it to the OEM for repair, or, if the gash is deeper than the metal, you may have to order a new drum altogether. When in doubt, check with the OEM about components and flaws.
Have you drained and flushed all the systems? Have you capped or covered nozzles after thoroughly cleaning them and their filters? Make sure you check the owner’s manual for best practices—if you’ve misplaced this vital document, the OEM probably has a copy online.
Don’t forget company policy when putting this machine into storage. Your team may have additional steps to lock up equipment for the next few months.
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